April 09

Outward Bound Centre^® first to be awarded quality badge

An outdoor-learning centre is the first in its field in the UK to be awarded a quality certification for teaching young people outside of the classroom.

The Outward Bound Trust's Loch Eil centre in the Scottish Highlands has just been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge for Adventurous Activities, an accreditation that recognises the centre’s proficiency in delivering education in a risk-controlled outdoor environment.  The award is part of the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) Out and About package, which aims to make it easier for teachers and others working with young people to identify suitable and consistently high quality LOtC (Learning Outside of the Classroom) providers. 

Nick Barrett, the chief executive of The Outward Bound Trust, said: "The Trust has always, and will continue, to strive to deliver the highest quality of education for young people in the UK."

"To be the first centre in the UK to receive the Quality Badge in its category is exceptional, and testament to the hard work that the team at Loch Eil, and the rest of the Trust, puts in each and every day."

The Trust's remaining three young people centres in the Lake District and in Snowdonia are currently in the process of completing their badge, which involves completing regular self assessments to establish competency in a number of key skills.

ENDS

For more information contact 01931 74000.

Notes to Editors:

• The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity, established more than 65 years ago to boost personal learning and development through a programme of challenging activities in the outdoors. The Outward Bound Trust is the original and leading facilitator of experiential learning in the outdoors.
• The charity runs courses and expeditions in the UK for young people aged 11-24. Courses last from 3 days to three weeks (www.outwardbound.org.uk).
• Outward Bound® for young people is delivered at four residential centres across the UK – Ullswater and Howtown in The English Lake District, Loch Eil in Scotland and Aberdovey in Wales – and through the Metro project (urban) in Glasgow and Scotland’s Central Belt (www.theoutwardboundtrust.org.uk/education
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• The Outward Bound Trust also facilitates Apprentice Development and currently works with some of the UK’s largest companies on their apprentice programmes.
• In 2008, over 28,000 young people benefited from an Outward Bound® experience. Almost a third of these participants were financially supported by bursaries raised by The Outward Bound Trust through private donations and in conjunction with its corporate partners, as part of the Patron’s Company scheme.
• The charity also works with volunteer groups across the UK called Outward Bound Associations, whose members have mostly experienced Outward Bound, and they source participants from local schools in their areas and help fundraise for their courses. These volunteers include Youth Reps, fresh from their Outward Bound experience, who provide advice and support for other youngsters (see www.myspace.com/outwardbounduk).
• The organisation runs a professional development centre for adults at Eskdale in The Lake District, called Outward Bound Professional.